Tips To Avoid Urgent Care During Summer Fun

As the days get longer and warmer, kids and adults alike have plenty of reasons to get outdoors. With all the playtime comes extra dangers everyone needs to be on the lookout for. No family wants to have summer fun turn into a summer scare.

Drowning is the No. 1 cause of injury-related death for kids ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but water isn’t the only potential hazard to be aware of this summer. Brush up on these Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals-approved tips to keep your family safe this season.

In order to stay safe and avoid urgent care during the summer, children and adults should wear helmets when riding bikes, boards, scooters or anything similar.

SET RULES FOR WHEELS
Properly fitted helmets are a must whenever bikes, boards, scooters, skates or ATVs are involved. Teach kids to ride or roll in a single-file line and always walk their bikes or boards across the street at crosswalks. Children under 10 should stick to sidewalks and paths, and remember reflectors are essential for anyone rolling after dark.

LEAVE THE PYROTECHNICS TO THE PROS
There’s no such thing as a safe firework, says Lisa Reichter, a trauma nurse coordinator at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. Even sparklers burn at temperatures above 1,000 degrees and cause a surprising number of injuries each year. Instead, pull out the glow sticks to avoid burning little fingers and hands.

MIND THE HEAT
Have fun indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If that’s not an option, experts at Arkansas Children’s Hospital recommend wearing light colored and lightweight clothing, taking shaded breaks every 20 to 30 minutes and drinking water or sports drinks every 15 minutes when active. Never leave a child unattended in a warm car. Even not-so-hot days can pose a risk, as inside temperatures rise quickly, becoming life threatening in 10 minutes or less.

BEWARE OF BUGS
Scented soaps, perfumes, hair sprays and standing pools of water are magnets for the creepy crawlies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends insect repellents containing 10 to 30 percent DEET for children over 2 months old. Say no to combination sunscreen/insect repellent since sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours and repellent does not.

BE WATER WISE
A child can drown in one inch of water. Never leave kids alone near filled-buckets, bathtubs, toilets, wading or swimming pools, or any body of water. Moms and dads should learn CPR and stay within an arm’s length of young swimmers. Medical sources at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia also insist kids wear a fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device on all boats, at all times.

To learn more about your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and ways you can help make kids healthier, visit CMNHospitals.org.